British carmaker Caterham enters motorcycle manufacturing business

First model to go on sale early next year

Nov 10, 2013

From making lightweight sports cars, British automaker Caterham is entering the motorcycle manufacturing business with the establishment of Caterham Bikes. The new motorcycle company announced its arrival by presenting three prototype products at the ongoing International Motorcycle Exhibition in Milan, Italy.

The first is the Brutus 750, which is described as the SUV of motorcycles and can operate either as a street bike, an off-road machine, or even a snowmobile following a four-hour conversion. It is also the first motorcycle to come with an automatic transmission, \"and the first ever two-wheel SUV.\"

The second Caterham prototype motorcycle is the Classic E-Bike, which boasts a uniquely retro styling for the rider \"with a penchant for a design harking back to the golden age of British motorcycling.\" According to the manufacturer, the Classic E-Bike has a range of 40km to 80km and doesn\'t require the rider to possess a license in the European Union.

The third and last Caterham prototype motorcycle is the Carbon E-Bike, a limited-edition electric motorbike that has F1-inspired styling and technology.

According to Caterham Bikes, production of all three model will begin next year, with the Brutus 750 to be built first in the first half of 2014 followed by the two electric motorcycles later in the year.

\"Our vision for the Caterham Group has taken another step forward with the launch of Caterham Bikes,\" said Caterham Group co-chairman Tony Fernandes. \"Expanding our interests into the two-wheel market is another natural progression for us and is a good opportunity to showcase the breadth of knowledge, experience and creativity we have at our disposal in the two-wheel world in addition to all of our other automotive, technology and innovation interests.\"